JEDDAH, 25 February 2005 — With six weeks remaining for the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2005, the organizers of the international event staged a road show at Westin Jeddah on Tuesday night. The event, which marks the third leg of the 2005 World Championship, is being held at the $150 million desert track of the Bahrain International Circuit. It is the second Formula 1 race in the Middle East.
The promotional events kicked off in Lebanon on Jan. 21 followed by similar shows in Kuwait and Dubai.
“Saudi Arabia plays a vital role for the international event, as it is located close to Bahrain and linked to the Kingdom by the King Fahd Causeway. Spectators can travel back and forth to Bahrain to enjoy the event,” a spokesman for the organizers said. Motor sport fans can purchase tickets, travel packages or receive information about the event at a counter at Al Rashid Mall in Alkhobar.
Last year’s inaugural race in Bahrain drew applause from the F1 community for the organizers as the FIA appreciated them and awarded the Bahrain International Circuit with the “Best organized circuit” of the 2004 FIA Formula 1 World Championship.
“A few weeks separates us from the Gulf Air Grand Prix 2005. Saudis have always been a huge pillar in the motor sport industry, after all it was the first country in the Middle East that sponsored a Formula 1 car through Saudi Arabian Airlines,” Salman ibn Essa Al-Khalifa, government affairs and PR director of the circuit, said.
“The Bahrain Grand Prix will bring the best in the industry together on one track. Saudis have always been passionate about the highest level of motor sport activities. Hence, we offer them no less than Formula 1 to enjoy. There’s no better opportunity to watch the likes of Michael Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya battling wheel to wheel than at the world’s best circuit — Bahrain International Circuit,” he said. There has been a huge demand on the tickets for the event that range from $100 to $350.
“Gulf Air is very proud to be the naming sponsor for this extraordinary event. The grand Prix has been a major catalyst in availing a magnificent platform to brand our company’s products and services to over 500 million viewers and motor sport fans around the world. This special event has simultaneously contributed to a significant increase in the number of visitors to the region. Thus we consider ourselves an international airline associated with a great international event,” Gulf Air’s PR Manager Hisham Abu Al-Fateh, said.
